Comment by tombert
6 years ago
My dad did this (in writing), but it was specific to the exact position he was in (something he didn't realize would be an issue). He got promoted, and a month later they took him from his private office to a cubicle. Admittedly, a cubicle isn't an open office, but it's still a downgrade from a regular office.
Cubicles at pretty good for productivity, if well built and not in a phone-heavy work environment. They combine audio dampening , partial visual blocking with visual airspace, natural light, and easy collaboration.
Yeah, they're not so bad overall; I think he was more upset with the fact that they took the office away from him more than anything else.
Yea, sort of. If, when I joined, the company had said upfront that they had open offices, I wouldn't have been quite so sore about it.
It feels like I agreed to work there under one set of circumstances and then the company unilaterally changed the agreement. It qualitatively felt like a bait-and-switch, but that's not quite the right analogy, because the two companies never said that the office situation wouldn't change. I just assumed, and that's on me.
I want to change the dynamic at the next job I take. And I am curious if anyone else here has made some think like that work.
Wow. How did he get that in writing? Was it his initiative, or came with the position by default?
I was pretty young when this happened, but if I remember it was basically listed in the accommodations/perks in his contract.